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Tuesday, December 11, 2007

A Wii Bit of Fun for Brain-Injury Patients

If there's such a thing as good news for people who suffer brain injuries, Ohio State just might have it: For the past four months, physical therapists at Ohio State’s Dodd Rehab hospital have been prescribing unusual medicine for patients with brain and spinal-chord injuries: mandatory Nintendo wii sessions. From the medical center's press release:

Rehabilitation professionals recently began using the system to assist patients in working on visual and cognitive skills, problem solving, balance, coordination, and upper- and lower-body strength and endurance.
“The games can be more motivating than standard exercises,” said Robbie Winget, a rehabilitation occupational therapist overseeing use of the system at Ohio State’s Dodd Hall Rehabilitation Hospital. “But this does not replace conventional therapy at all. It’s one more way to meet specific goals associated with therapy.”
Inpatients typically work with the video game system for about 30 minutes per day two to three times per week. Generally, inpatients undergo a total of three hours of therapy each day.